One of my earliest ideas was to surprise Barney with a cafe mocha from Starbucks one day. He loves the drink, but they are mostly a special treat and not something that he buys very often. Usually he gets them if only we are travelling. And that is exactly why I thought it would be a fun special treat for him. It's very out of the ordinary, and I don't think I have ever just randomly brought him one.
When trying to figure out the logistics of it, I initially thought that since it was my morning to get up with the kids, I would just get them up, feed and dress them, and then take them to school early so that I could pick up his mocha and have it waiting for him when I woke up. But, Barney did that for me one day several months ago in an attempt to let me sleep, and though I appreciated the extra sleep, I hated not seeing the kids until the afternoon. So, I scrapped that plan. Plan B was that I would make him a mocha at home. I figured it would take only three ingredients--coffee, steamed milk, and chocolate. So, I texted a friend who worked at Starbucks for several years, and she texted back that I needed espresso rather than coffee. So, that was no longer an option.
Plan C was that I would let Barney wake up and see the kids but then would take them to school and then go get his treat. By the time Barney woke up and we had everything ready to go, it was 9:15, and this week continues to be very busy, so Plan C was not really looking very feasible anymore. I was starting to get discouraged when I brilliantly came up with Plan D. Plan D was to rush out of the house and to take the hated red car to Starbucks while Barney dropped the kids off at school, never suspecting that I was anywhere but at home working.
I went with Plan D. The reason that this extremely logical plan took me so long to formulate stems from my deep-seated hatred of our red car. It was the first car we purchased together, and we bought it sight-unseen based on a strong recommendation. As soon as I saw it, I realized it was exactly the wrong car for my personality, but we owned it and it was ours. Luckily, we now have a perfectly serviceable SUV that we use for 99% of our travels to and fro, and the red car generally sits dormant next to the house. I never think of driving it because I don't like it. The radio does not work, and the digital controls in the car, including the odometer and clock don't work. The AC doesn't work. The windshield wiper fluid container is broken. But, it drives, and it got me to Starbucks where there was magically no line. Then, when I noted Chick-fil-a just next door, it got me through those drives, where there was again no line.
I was disappointed when Barney beat me home, but he was pumped and very touched by the drink. He gave me a big hug and told me he was so lucky to have such a sweet wife. At that moment, I was very grateful for the red car, which allowed me to be able to formulate my Plan D.
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